646 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 8, 1895. 
belongs to the natural order Ranunculaceae, from 
rana, a frog, because frogs are said to abound in the 
vicinity of some of the species. May not the allu¬ 
sion to the habitat of this plant be carried further ; 
and may not the plant itself be said to be, like 
its associate, amphibious ? The double varieties, 
which botanists call “ abnormal ” are much preferred 
in gardens, and these forms may often be seen 
thriving in a soil distinctly different from that which 
is implied by peaty bog. 
Ah! here is also the Water Crowfoot (R. 
aquatilis), which, as its name would lead us 
to suppose, is only found in association with 
water. It has large white wheel-shaped flowers 
with yellow centres, and veritably covers the 
surface of the water with its attractive parts. 
The submerged leaves are in hairy segments, 
while the floating ones are only three-lobed and 
bluntly crenate. This species is sometimes called 
Batrachian ranunculi, which, being freely Anglicised, 
might be rendered " froggy frogs,” such are some of 
the peculiarities of nomenclature. 
But time is up. We must return. Our mission 
has been achieved. We have noted something like 
forty species of plants, and we have had a quiet 
chat and a pleasant ramble. We have breathed “ a 
breath of unadulterated air ” ; so, with a last look at 
the beautiful landscape—the trees, the fields, the 
flowers—we turn away impressed with the senti- 
mentsof Milton that—“ In those vernal seasonsof the 
year, when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an 
injury and sullenness against Nature not to got out 
and see her riches.”— C. B. G., Acton, W. 
--ofe-- 
MUSHROOM CULTURE IN CEMENT 
BARRELS. 
M. H. Amelung, head gardener at the Joachimsthal 
Gymnasium, Berlin, has been occupied for many 
years with the culture of Mushrooms ; it was, so to 
speak, his hobby horse. He put the question to 
himself “is it possible to make the culture of Mush¬ 
rooms in Germany remunerative ?” In Gartenflora, 
p. 14 for the present year, he replies to the question 
and says that the culture of Mushrooms can give 
profits (1) when one has a cave the mean temperature 
of which is 50? Fah., (2) if the installations are made 
cheaply and practically, conformably to the growth 
of the Mushrooms. Not being able to operate as the 
French do in their quarries where they possess the 
heat and the desired degree of humidity, he has set 
himself to obtain those conditions by another way, 
and this has been found by means of cement barrels. 
That new proceeding has given M. H. Amelung 
excellent results. The barrels placed in tiers, one 
above the other, occupy all the free space of the 
tunnel or cave. The lower series is placed upon a 
bed of long manure. In every barrel a board or 
plank 6 in. wide is placed. The tiers of barrels 
enveloped with rank manure are retained in position 
by wooden supports surmounted with cross pieces. 
M. Amelung's system presents some advantages : 
in the first place the barrels cost very little, say 2|d. 
to 3d. apiece; secondly they are placed above one 
another without scaffolding; thirdly, encased in the 
long stable manure, they have a natural permanent 
humidity, and that manure can be utilised later on to 
establish hot beds. According to the author the 
manure required for the Mushrooms ought not to be 
prepared in advance ; it is shot down in proximity to 
the cave, remaining thus three or four days, after 
which it is placed in heaps in the barrels ; the heaps 
are after that taken down and placed amongst the 
long manure. Then the spawn is introduced. The 
employment of hot beds of manure is only necessary 
when all the space in the interior of the barrels has 
taken the spawn, which takes place after three or 
four weeks. The proceeding of M. Amelung is so 
easy and costs so little that it seems henceforth to 
put the culture of Mushrooms at the door of all 
gardeners; also we earnestly advise them to make 
the trial.— Em. Rodigas in Bulletin d'Arboriculture. 
TIE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The cold winds have left us, and the summer is back 
again once more, but the much needed showers have 
not as yet made their appearance and the long period 
of drought is making itself seriously felt. One 
advantage at least that should accrue from the dry 
weather is the splendid opportunity that it has 
furnished for the ridding of the gardens of weeds, for 
a time at least. Even where the gardener is short- 
handed there will be but little excuse for allowing 
the presence of weeds, and thus when the rain does 
come we shall start with a clean sheet as it were. 
Onions.— Plants that were raised under glass and 
which were subsequently planted out in prepared posi¬ 
tions will need to be watered occasionally, especially 
on dry soils. The best time to do this is at nightfall, 
and, if a supply of water is laid on, it is a work that 
can be speedily performed. Arose should be affixed to 
the hose and a thoroughly good drenching given the 
whole of the ground, as it is much better to water 
thus than to pour a little water round the stem of 
each plant leaving the intervening spaces dry. Where 
crops require thinning some caution must be exercised 
in setting about it, for on heavy soils the surface is 
so hard baked with the sun as to preclude the 
possibility of drawing the superfluous plants clean 
out of the soil. A good watering must, therefore, be 
given the plants in the manner suggested the night 
previous to the day on which it is proposed to com¬ 
mence thinning. If patches of yellow leaves in 
various parts of the bed betray the fact that the 
Onion maggot is at its mischievous work, affected 
plants should be pulled out as far as this is practic¬ 
able, dusting these parts of the bed with soot and 
subsequently filling in the gaps by dibbling in plants 
that have been carefully lifted where too thick. 
Cauliflowers.— There can be no two ideas as to 
the important position which these hold in the list of 
summer and early autumn vegetables. Although 
the early batches are not turning in nearly so quickly 
as we should like to see them, still, where care has 
been taken to give an occasional watering good 
heads are forthcoming. As a reliable early sort 
Sutton’s First Crop will be hard to beat; the heads 
being of a large size, snowy white in colour, and of 
excellent flavour. If too many heads turn in at 
once two or three of the inner leaves should be 
broken over so as to shade them, otherwise the hot 
sun will soon cause them to run. Where seed was 
sown for succession crops at the end of April or 
beginning of May due care must be taken that the 
young plants are not allowed to remain in the seed 
beds too long ; for if allowed to do so,small wonder may 
be entertained if a goodly percentage of them button. 
Veitch’s Autumn Giant, Walcheren and Sutton’s 
Autumn Mammoth are all splendidly reliable sorts 
and have proved themselves worthy of all praise. 
f’EAS.—The prolonged drought is seriously 
affecting crops of Peas, especially on light shallow 
soils. In cases of this kind the inestimable value of 
deep culture will be amply demonstrated ; for where 
the ground has been deeply trenched and well 
manured the plants will be able to stand dry 
weather much better than when the ground 
has not been tilled to any depth. However, 
rows that are in full vigour will need watering 
now if well filled pods are expected. Complete the 
staking of any later rows that may up to the present 
not have been operated on, whether from lack of 
time or other causes. In northern districts the 
sowing of the late crops should not be deferred 
beyond the middle of the month, in order to allow 
the plants time to bloom and bear a fairly abundant 
crop, although for southern localities this late sowing 
may be made at any time well nigh up to the end of 
June. For late crop varieties we should recommend 
Sutton's Late Queen or Latest of All, the former 
particularly being a most trustworthy sort, resisting 
as it does the attacks of mildew to a very great 
extent, a no small qualification as every gardener 
who knows how susceptible late Peas are tc the 
attack of mildew can testify. 
General Work.— Make sowings of Turnips to 
come in as succession crops in early autumn, for 
under the influence of the hot sun the roots resulting 
from earliest sowings soon become tough, stringy 
and high-flavoured, lasting in condition but a very 
short time. Sutton's All the Year Round and Veitch’s 
Red Globe are both excellent varieties for the purpose 
Another row of Runner Beans must also be put in 
to come in after the early sown ones and thus to keep 
up a plentiful supply until cut down by frost.— K.G. 
- » •- 
THE PLANT NOISES. 
The Stove. 
We are now once again being blessed with brilliant 
sunshine and warm summer-like weather. However 
much rain may be needed in the outside garden, 
indoors the bright weather is indeed a boon, for 
without plenty of light it is a matter of great 
difficulty to obtain well coloured Crotons and other 
plants of a like nature. Up to the present time air 
will have been cautiously and sparingly administered, 
as was indeed necessary when dealing with plants 
bearing tender, newly formed leaves. As the tissues 
of the young growths begin to harden, however, 
more air may be given with advantage. With the 
advent of the present month, therefore, the top 
ventilators may be opened somewhat wider than 
they have hitherto been, but, of course, not to a 
sufficient extent to allow of a serious escape of 
moisture. It must be borne in mind that the more 
air there is given the quicker will be the drying up 
process, and thus additional care must be exercised 
with the syringings and damping down. 
Caladiums. —If proper care has been accorded 
them these beautiful plants should now be in fine 
condition, and as their leaves will by this time 
have acquired some substance, some of the stronger 
plants may be removed to an intermediate house to 
harden them off a little. The high decorative 
qualities of Caladiums none will question, although 
the fact that they will not for long stand 
exposure to low temperatures detracts considerably 
from their value. Draughts particularly they exhibit 
a marked dislike to, and for that reason they should 
be shielded from them as far as possible. If protected 
from these they will stand in the rooms of the 
mansion for several days without injury, but must 
not be allowed to stay there too long, before being 
removed to the stove to recuperate themselves. 
Although a little trouble may be entailed in shifting 
them they are well worth it, as the effect they pro¬ 
duce in ornamental stands amongst other plants or 
in suitably sized vases on the dinner table is superb. 
The pretty little C. argyrites with its green leaves 
with their characteristic white centres and margins 
is invaluable for filling small fancy vases, and a 
stock of it should be grown for the purpose. It also 
makes a very suitable edging plant for the stages in 
the stove. 
Climbers. —These will need to be gone over at 
intervals in order to tie in the growths as they 
become long enough. The meaning which it is 
intended to convey by ” tying-in ” must not be mis¬ 
understood, for the gardener must use his own 
discretion as to the amount of restraint that it is 
necessary to put upon the various climbing plants. 
Aristolochias, for instance, should be allowed to 
hang down from the roof of the house in long grace¬ 
ful sprays, thereby enabling them to display their 
curiously shaped flowers to better advantage. 
Stephanotis on the other hand must have their 
growths neatly trained to strings or wires along 
their whole length, for if allowed to hang loose they 
soon become intertwined with each other. Keep a 
sharp lookout for mealy bug when working amongst the 
climbers, for it will be impossible to keep the plants 
on the stages clean if the overhead subjects are 
dirty. 
Adiantums.— The stronger growing species of 
Adiantum, such as A. aethiopicum, A scutum, A, 
■trapeziforme, and A. polyphyllum or, as it is some¬ 
times called, A. cardiochloena, will now need to be 
staked out, for during the season they make strong 
vigorous fronds with a large spread, with the result 
that the stripes are either unable to support their 
weight, and as a result hang over the sides in any¬ 
thing but a graceful manner, or they become so 
matted together, particularly A. aethiopicum, in 
such a way that the appearance of the plants is in a 
great measure spoiled. Light green painted stakes 
if procurable should be employed, and if properly 
inserted and a little care is exercised in the distribu¬ 
tion of the fronds the artificial supports may be 
nearly hidden from view\ 
Greenhouse. 
The danger of the visitation of severe frost being 
now reduced to a minimum the larger specimens of 
Azaleas and Camellias in pots may be accorded a 
place outside, for in a position like this they do very 
much better than they do if coddled up during the 
summer months in the greenhouse. It will be very 
important, however, to see that plenty of water is 
given them, for the pots being full of roots they will 
dry up very quickly. The syringe or, better still, 
the garden engine may be used upon them now and 
again to keep down thrip and red spider, which 
often attack the plants during dry weather. 
